Improved apparatus for curing india-rubber



UNITED STATES PATENT Orrice,

JAMES B. FORSYTH, OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51,036, dated November21, 1865.

ful Apparatus for Ourin g Goods of India-Bubher and Allied Gums and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to makeand use the same,

reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of thisspecification, in whiclu- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal verticalsection of this invention,showing its application to goods of limitedextent, or to such articles which are cured in molds. Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalvertical section of the same, showing its application to belts orothergoodsot' greater length than the apparatus itself. Fig. 4c is an endview of the same. Fig. 5 is a plan of a mold, and Fig. 6 a transversevertical section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to an apparatus composed of two plates orheaters, one of which-is stationary and the other suspended fromsuitable screws, in combination with a jackedthe lower part of which isstationary, whereas the upper part is made to rise and fall, and whichsurrounds the pressingplates partially or wholly in such a manner thatby admitting steam or other suitable heating medium to the jacket thegoods between the plates can be heated to any desired degree withoutcoming in direct contact with the heating medium,and

' the operation of curing goods of india-rubber or allied gums can beefi'ected with ease and facility. For goods the length of which exceedsthat of the pressing-plates, said plates are provided with longitudinalgrooves to receive suitable packing-strips, which prevent the heatin gmedium from comin g in direct contact with the goods to be cured, and atthe same time,

by means of said packing-strips, the thickness of the goods isdetermined.

Arepresents a plate, of cast-iron or any other suitable material, whichis secured within the lower half, B, of a steam-jacket, the upper halfor cap, 6, of which is suspended from screwrods a. This cap covers thetop plate, D, which is suspended from screw-rods b, as clearly shown inFig. 1 of the drawings. The screwrods a screw into thinibles c, whichare rigidly'attached to the upper surface of the cap 0, and they pass upthrough a beam, E, which extends in alongitudinal direction over thewhole apparatus, and is supported by crossbars F, which rest on uprightsG, rising on opposite sides of the jacket B (J, and close to its ends.On the upper ends of said screwrods are mounted bevel-wheels d, whichgear in bevel-wheels e, mounted on a shaft, f, that has its hearings inbrackets g secured on the beam E, near its ends, and to which arevolving motion can be imparted by a crank, h, or any other suitablemeans. The bevel-wheels e are so arranged on the shaft j that they canbe readily thrown in or out of gear with the bevel-wheels d,- or theyare placed loosely on the shaftf, and sliding clutches h are applied,which are so arranged that when they are moved up to the wheels 6 saidwheels are compelled to revolve with the shaft f; but if they are movedoff from said wheels the shaft revolves in the same without any motionto the screw-rods a.

The screw-rods b, from which the top plate, D, is suspended, screw intothimbles i, which are firhilyattached to the upper surface of said topplate, and they pass up through stuffingboxes jiu the cap 0, and throughthe beam E, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

On their upper ends are mounted bevel-wheels,

k, which gear in corresponding bevetwheels l, on the shaft f, and saidbevel-wheels l are placed loosely on the shaft, being coupled to thesame by sliding clutches m, which can. be thrown in and out of gear atpleasure. V

A suitable pipe, at, leading to the interior of the trough B, serves tointroduce steam or other suitable heating medium, and another pipe, 0,emanating from said trough, serves to carry off the condensed water orthe surplus steam.

When the apparatus is to be used for curing goods the length of whichexceeds that of the jacket B 0 it is constructed as shown in Figs. 3 and4. In this case the plate A is fastened to the top edge of the trough Band its ends extend beyond the edges thereof, as

clearly shown in Fig. 3, but the width of the trough exceeds that of theplate, so .that the steam or other heating medium admitted to saidtrough is free to pass round that portion of the plate which is situatedover the open space of the trough. The top plate, D*, is equal in lengthto the bottom plate, A*, and it is connected to the cap 0* by means ofscrewbolts 10, which are secured in brackets q, fastened to the plate Dand the heads of which slide up and down in slotted plates 4", attachedto the ends of the cap 0*, as shown in Fig. 4. By this arrangement anindependent risingand-falling motion can be imparted to the top plate,D*, and to the cap 0*, and at the same time, by the application of thebrackets q, the escape of steam from the interior of the cap is avoidedas much as possible.

The mechanism used for raising and lowering the top plate and the cap isprecisely the same as that applied to the apparatus first described, andrepresented in Figs. 1 and 2;

but, in order to prevent the steam or other heating medium from passingin between the two plates A and D*, and from coming in direct contactwith the article or articles placed between said plates, it is necessaryto provide packing-strips s, which are fitted into grooves t near theedges of the plates A* D*, and extending throughout their whole length.Small strips of in dia-rubber are placed in the grooves t, so that whenthe strips are placed into the grooves, and the plates are compressed, atight joint is formed on the edges thereof. The packing-strips s alsoserve to determine the thickness of the goods to be pressed between theplates A" D and for goods of different thickness packingstrips ofdifferent width have to be provided.

The apparatus represented in Figs. 1 and 2 is intended for curing sucharticles. which are equal in length to the plates A D, or shorter thanthesame o-rfifor such articles which are cured in molds F, suchas shownin Figs. 5 and 6. These articles or molds are introduced byraisiug firstthe cap 0 and then the top plate, D, and after they(the molds orarticles) are properly adjusted on the bottom plate,

A, the top plate, 0, is lowered until it bears down tight upon the topsof the articles or molds, and then the cap 0 is lowered and steam orother suitable heating medium is admitted" to the jacket. The jointbetween the cap 0 and trough B may be rendered tight by interposing asuitable packing-piece, u, and by the ap medium the plates A and D areheated to any desired degree, and the curing operation is effectedwithout permitting the heating medium to come in direct contact with thegoods.

The apparatus represented in Figs. 3 and 4 is intended particularly forcuring belts of india-rubber or allied gums or other articles the lengthof which exceeds that of the plates A* D*. In this case the articles arecured in sections, one part first and then the next, and said articlesare introduced between the plates A D by raising first thecap 0* andthen the plate D*. After the goods have been properly adjusted on theplate A* the packingstrips areinserted in their grooves and the plate D*and cap 0* are brought down, and the steam or other heating medium isadmitted to the jacket 13* 0*. By the action of the heating medium theplates A D are heated and the goods are cured without being permitted tocome in direct contact with the steam or other heating medium. After thefirst sect-ion ofthe goods is cured, the cap 0* and plate D* are raised,the goods are drawn through between the plates, and the succeedingsections are arranged between the plates, and the operation iscontinued, as previously described.

The operation of curing goods of india-rubher or allied gums can thus beconducted with the greatest ease and facility, and without danger ofinjuring said goods to which they are exposed if they are brought indirect contact with the steam or other heating medium; and it is obviousthat the shape and size of the plates can be adapted to the shape andsize of the goods to be cured.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. The employment or use, for curing goods ,ofindia-rubber or allied gums, of an apparatus composed, essentially, oftwo plates which can be compressed by screw-rods or other suit ablemeans, and which are partially or wholly inclosed in a suitable jacket,to be heated by steam or other suitable heating medium, substantially asherein set forth.

2. The raising, lowering, or opening of said jacket by means ofscrew-rods or other suitable means, constructed and operating sub--stantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The packing-strips s, in combination with the plates A* D'* andjacket 13* 0*, constructed and operating, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

JAMEs B. FORSYTH.

, Witnesses:

J OHN Q. A. GRIFFIN, A. F. BADGER.

